Paul Sellers sharpening system, which diamond stones?

[Timberwolf]

This isn't stropping in the traditional sense.  You've just manufactured your own fine(est) honing stone in your line up. 

If you're using glass, you might as well move up to the finest abrasives made - ones for polishing mission-critical optical components (spy satellites, microscopes, etc.).  Your glass will looks stupendous and so will your plane irons and chisels.  It's actually made in a dizzying array of grits, and makes the stuff sold through woodworking and razor suppliers look like Ned and the First Reader.

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This isn't stropping in the traditional sense. You've just manufactured your own fine(est) honing stone in your line up.

+1....And other "polishes" also work..I used to frequent flea markets a lot in years gone by and managed to snag an assortment of optical grade cerium oxide and tin oxide {I still have some left}..I have used it on various substrates and it has a different "feel" to it compared to diamond..it's smoother..almost like spreading butter, unlike diamond which has a "grittier" feel to it. I believe Semichrome polish is made with cerium oxide as well as other metal polishes like Flitz, but I could be wrong..I have also used "Air Float" tripoli..but none compare to diamond IMO. Diamond "cuts" while others just "burnish".

[CStan]

Microlux MCG .05 micron alumina compound. A green crayon is like lapping and polishing with the Swiss Alps compared to this.

[Timberwolf]

Microlux MCG .05 micron alumina compound.  A green crayon is like lapping and polishing with the Swiss Alps compared to this.

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I have some Linde A but have never tried the "B".....Somewhere along the way there's "good enough".....

[Admiral]

I love these sharpening posts; I'm firmly in the camp of "what is good enough" and have found my way with flea market oil stones, especially those straight razor red hones, and that works for me.

[Ricky]

I love these sharpening posts; I'm firmly in the camp of "what is good enough" and have found my way with flea market oil stones, especially those straight razor red hones, and that works for me.

I also love sharpening posts.  Both the "what is good enough" and "the extreme sharpening Olympics." 
I'm gonna break out the thick float glass I used in sand paper sharpening and give stropping on glass
with diamond paste a go.

[CStan]

Where do you stop? Why stop? The five hundredths of a micron stuff really isn't any more expensive than three micron stuff if you do the arithmetic. And even if it was, you're likely standing in a shop that's basically a sea of spent money. You're going to draw the line at stropping compound? LOL - "not another dime." Right.

I strop with AlOx powder on a hard rubber strop -- Ye Olde "Wood is Good" system (a poor man's Shapton stone). I've had the same small vial of AlOx powder for years. A tiny bit goes a long, long way. If I power stropped, I'd use a wax-based stick that melts at high speed exposing the grit. But I don't power strop. That product is a complete joke for hand-powered stropping, regardless of who uses it. You can charge a leather strop with dry powder and get the benefit of both the leather and the powder without completely glopping up the leather. A drop or two of neatsfoot oil with the powder works fine too and keeps the leather conditioned.

[Timberwolf]

Where do you stop?  Why stop?  The five hundredths of a micron stuff really isn't any more expensive than three micron stuff if you do the arithmetic.  And even if it was, you're likely standing in a shop that's basically a sea of spent money.  You're going to draw the line at stropping compound?  LOL - "not another dime."  Right.

I strop with AlOx powder on a hard rubber strop -- Ye Olde "Wood is Good" system (a poor man's Shapton stone).  I've had the same small vial of AlOx powder for years.  A tiny bit goes a long, long way.  If I power stropped, I'd use a wax-based stick that melts at high speed exposing the grit.  But I don't power strop.  That product is a complete joke for hand-powered stropping, regardless of who uses it.  You can charge a leather strop with dry powder and get the benefit of both the leather and the powder without completely glopping up the leather.  A drop or two of neatsfoot oil with the powder works fine too and keeps the leather conditioned.

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I also have the Wood is Good strop and have had it many years, but I mostly power strop now. It's not a skill for those who don't want to put in the time to learn, because, as fast as it can create an extremely sharp edge, it can also totally erase it with just one slip of the hand. This is especially true when using a wheel and for my wood carving knives I mostly prefer a leather belt on one of my slow-speed belt sharpeners...Like Admiral, I also have a cabinet full of vintage hones that I have collected over more than 50 years, and even tho I have lots of power sharpeners, I still get satisfaction using one of the old oil stones and razor hones occasionally.

[bandit571]

Some seem to be on a Quest.....out Jousting against the Windmills of the Perfect Edge......wondering IF they ever do anything else but sharpen all day....


Horrors!   Someone actually USED an edge tool to cut wood?   And....did NOT resharpen after each and every stroke...for shame!


J.A.S.T.

Just Another Sharpening Thread......

[Timberwolf]

Some seem to be on a Quest.....out Jousting against the Windmills of the Perfect Edge......wondering IF they ever do anything else but sharpen all day....


Horrors!   Someone actually USED an edge tool to cut wood?   And....did NOT resharpen after each and every stroke...for shame!


J.A.S.T.

Just Another Sharpening Thread......

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The quest is ongoing...the search for the perfect edge!!!!!! But how will we know when we get there?????

[bandit571]

Rob ( Sancho) Cosman will tell you....